Student’s Tell The Flint Water Crisis Story From The Inside

In this clip from our 53+ minute interview with Michigan State University Documentary film students Elise Conklin & Liv Larsen, we talk about the story line of their upcoming documentary, “From Flint“, the Sunday Flint presidential democratic debate schedule and selecting music for the 30 minute film.

Elise Conklin, director: You can come at this story from so many different angles. There have been a lot of different news crews trying to tell the story, but we really want to focus on the people.

So, we would love to get an interview with Marc Edwards because he was really integral and he was contacted by a citizen from Flint. But, the students of Virginia Tech, it’s not necessarily as relevant as to the people of Flint.

We want to focus on the people that live there. To give an inside view of what it is like to live in Flint, during this time. And what’s it like to have to cook with bottled water and little things like that. You can’t even use a dishwasher. What is it like to take a bath?

Things like that really had not crossed my mind until I was standing in the kitchen and Melissa [Mays] was pointing to the dishwasher and she was talking about it. I mean that’s something that I totally take for granted.

I wasn’t even thinking of that. I was thinking they can’t drink it. But, there’s a lot of restrictions that they have.

Jack Olmsted, GMO Free News/Seattle PI Reader Blog: You are going back to Flint on Sunday that’s the day the democrats will be debating in Flint. What’s on your radar for Sunday?

Liv Larsen, producer: A couple things actually. It’s a really big day coming up on Sunday. We are working on getting into the Democratic debate. That is tentative. Everything is kind of last minute. We have been realizing that anything governmental…like we didn’t get our press passes to Bernie [Sanders] until the middle of the night. It was like midnight.

Elise: It was cool. It is actually happening.

Liv: So, everything government is like – you can do it, now, go – but we are going to an event “Americans for Flint“. And that is an day long event on Sunday. I was in contact with the group. The group that is putting it on and we’re meeting with them early and getting to know them. Meeting them so they can get to know us, too. And we will be hanging out with them for most of the day.

We talked about breaking up into teams and somebody going out and standing outside where the democratic debate is going on, getting protesters or people that want to say a word or two on camera.

We are all very capable of breaking up and doing it. Like taking our own cameras and slapping a mic on. There is going to be so much to cover. So, Sunday is going to be very, very intense but I think it’s going to be worthwhile.

Jack: What kind equipment are you shooting with? Do you have any around that you can show us? Are you shooting on cell phones?

Elise: Our department has the Sony NEX-50 which is a really solid camera that has interchangeable lenses. So, you can get some really nice depth of fields so you aren’t sacrificing on not using a DSLR. We also – I own a Canon 60-D and than Izak, our director of photograhy, has a GH3

Liv: We all have our own a DSLR’s and cameras and I have even shot stuff from my iPhone. I just went to a play and afterwards they were collecting money for Flint. So, I quickly whipped out my phone and you can get footage while you are in the moment.

That is the thing about documentaries a lot of it can be – run ‘n gun – like something is happening now – I’m gong to get it on my iPhone – so I can get it.

We use standard equipment, basic lighting and lav mics and stuff.

We are all seniors except for Elise, so we will are all done in May.

Elise: Yeah. I’m still a Junior. 2017 is when I’m done. But, it’s nice, because I’ll still be a student so we can get into all the student film festivals.

Music:

Liv: We went and filmed a meeting with Michael Hood’s organization, “Crossing Water,” at a bar in Lansing and went there and this woman opened up and she sang this beautiful song and she is a Michigan native and this song is about Michigan. And she sang the song and Lauren, our editor, like sprinted up to her and we got the release form from her, for her face to be in our documentary, then we asked about the song and kind of told her what we were doing and the woman was like, “Yeah you can use my song in your documentary if you want.” So, we have a really beautiful song about Michigan that we know we are going to put in our documentary, probably more than once.

Elise: She was like, “Oh, yeah” and she pulled out a CD so we have a really clean recording. We also have friends in local bands. I have a few friends who are composition students here at Michigan State. So, music is definitely – it’s something that I’m not to familiar with but I know a lot of people that are very talented at what they do and what they do is music.

Liv: That is a nice thing about Michigan State is there’s just a lot of other resources within the university and then students of the university – we have friends that are very talented at graphic design, photography and music and then again being students and artists it is always nice to get – any publicity is good publicity – so, you know, “Hey you want to help out with helping with the poster design?” – “Yeah, of course!” Get their name on something. So, that is also another thing about working with other artists within the University.

Brittany Willingham, a University of Michigan – Flint Student, was born and raised in Flint. The twenty-one year old Media Communications major is interested in working as a journalist when she graduates in May. (Full Interview)

In this clip, Flint based Meteorology student Megan Kreger talks about the mental stress of lead poisoning. (Interview: Part 1, 2)

Jack: How about your future?

Megan Kreger, Flint Photographer/Meteorology Student: It’s really scary sometimes. I don’t know if I should have kids. And not just because of mental health issues but because of the multi-generational effect of LEAD.

But the really, the really scary thing to me is…Sometimes I’m scared that I’m not smart enough to handle Meteorology school anymore.

That I might have lost IQ points and that I won’t be able to hack it. And when you found your calling in life I think that, that’s one of the hardest things to deal with to be working towards something and dedicate so much time. I mean… that’s how I got the carpal tunnel. My homework hurt me.

I literally have had so much of a physical toll on my own body just to get to this point in my program and I’m absolutely petrified that I won’t be able to handle it.

Because of this happening.
It’s what did you know?
When did you know it?
We just want an answer.
We can’t really get one. and I mean it’s…

It’s really hard sometimes to know…
Ok my escape plan is to go to Meteorology school and I do not know if I’m going to be able to handle that.

It really takes toll on you.

It’s not always a happy story but it’s still a story and it still needs to be told.

If you are interested in doing a deeper dive into the “Flint Water Crisis”, check out the “Flint Water Crisis TIMELINE” (1963-2016). If you have information (article, video, presentation, etc) that is not on the TIMELINE, use this form.